Proceedings from Duane Webster Symposium Available Online

NEW YORK, July 15, 2008 This past April, Columbia University Libraries hosted a symposium to celebrate the career of Duane Webster, retired Executive Director of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). The videos of the presentations from “Celebrating the Career of Duane Webster: A Symposium on the Association of Research Libraries History, Accomplishments, Future Developments,” are now available online at www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/conferences/2008/
arl-symposium/proceedings, and feature presenters from across the country.

Presentation topics included “Global Resources,” by Deborah Jakubs, University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs at Duke University; “Copyright and the Research Library,” by Jonathan Band, an attorney with the Library Copyright Alliance; and “Scholarly Communication,” by Mary Case, University Librarian at the University of Illinois at Chicago, among others. Of the focus of the symposium, Jim Neal, Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian at Columbia University said his opening remarks, “ARL’s leadership and accomplishments have touched the priority issues in the research library and higher education communities.”

The symposium was attended by over 150 guests, and was followed by a reception in the Low Library rotunda, where several additional colleagues toasted Webster and he gave a speech of thanks.

Columbia University Libraries/Information Services is one of the top five academic research library systems in North America. The collections include over 10 million volumes, over 100,000 journals and serials, as well as extensive electronic resources, manuscripts, rare books, microforms, maps, graphic and audio-visual materials. The services and collections are organized into 25 libraries and various academic technology centers. The Libraries employs more than 550 professional and support staff. The website of the Libraries at www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb is the gateway to its services and resources.